Hand bag



eb. 14, 1928.A K

W. H MULF ORD E? A l 6 I L a Filed 0 Shen?.

s sheeL l l 5| sa* ||||||||||||||il ATTORNEYS W, H. MULFORD ET AL Feb. 14, 1928.

HAND BAG 2 Shees-Sheet 2 l lle a02 29 '9 r me e Swum Y wm@ m mu R t5/Hm Vmn M .N190 vir. .HQ WA Patented Feb.' 14, 1928.

UNITI-:D STATES- `PATENT oFF'lc'E.

WILLIAM H. MULFORD' AND AARON S. BELBERQOF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE BELBER TRUNK & BAG COMPANY, F PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. i

Appiieation mea october 29, 1925. serial No. 65,567.

This invention relates 'to an improved traveling case or hand bag, and has for 1ts general object the provision of a hand bag or traveling case designed to serve advanta- 5 geously ar'variety of needs or requirements commonly met With in travel, and especially on the making of short trips or journeys.

One of the prime desiderata of the Vinvention resides more particularly in the prov1- sionv of a hand bag designed and constructed to serve the dual purpose of a bag for personal-belongings, such as Wearing apparel, toilet articles andthe like, and of a case for papers, books or sales-display samples, the

16 construction being such that both in carrying capacity and in compartment arrangement, the hand bag is capable of serving the double functions of a brief case and. Satchel or hand bag thus rendering the bag es- 20 pecially suitable for light travel or in the making of short, such as over-night, trips.

Another prime desideratum of the invention' comprehends the provision of an improved hand bag for the purposes referred to constructed so as to be capable of being carried or handled with great facility and comfort, the parts of the bag being so coordinated as to permit the bag to be always undercarrying control Without noticeable effort, and to permit the carrying of a relatively heavy load Without that discomforting engagement of the bag With the body of( the user which gives rise to early tiring, the bag being generally designed so as to be capable of being carried With the ease and comfort characteristicsof an ordinary brief case., In carrying out this desideratum `of the invention, the bag is fashioned or shaped so as to permit it being placed in relatively 40 small confines, such for example as under a car seat, Without the outward bulging and consequent interference With the legs of the seat occupant incident to traveling bags of past manufacture, or so as to permit its being handled with great convenience in berths, and particularly upper berths,`the dimension and contour of the bag adapting the same for being placed in berth hammocks without interfering with the occupant of the berth, and so as to permit its being carried vvith ease and facility in crowds, making possible hurried movements of the traveler in weaving through the crowd Without disturbing or annoying neighboring pedestrians.

.A' Still further desideratum of the inven- 55 tion in attaining the general object referred to relates to the provision of a hand bag constructed to permit rapid and facile opening and closing, and locking and unlocking operations of the bag, affording quick and convenient manipulation of the bag 4and ready access to its contents. To produce this desired result, a single fastening strap is employed for holding the bag closure in closed position, and a unitary or combined lock and 05 buckle is utilized for fastening the strap in position and for locking the bag. This fas-4 tening means is also so constructed and arranged as to produce a number of other ystructural advantages, the fastening means being arranged so as to free the top of the bag from all straps and locking devices, permitting among other things the handle grip to be extended over the greater vpart of the Width of the bag for 'affording the eiiicient 75 carrying support above referred to, the construction of the fastening means and its arrangement relatively to the supporting parts of the bag being furthermore such as to take up the supporting forces and stresses, calculated to prevent or minimize distortion of the bag and to assist in maintaining the bag as a self-sustaining structure in shape and form.

Correlated objects of the invention in achieving the results desired include the provision of a bag construction in which the walls and closure are designed and fashioned so that the shape and body of the bag is always maintained in use, forces which tend' to break, bend or otherwise distort the 'bag parts being minimized; the further provision of a hand bag of this character in Which the supporting elements and .fastening means are coordinated with the bag structure so as to permit the carrying of a comparatively heavy load WithoutI bag distortion; and the still further provision of a hand bag for light travel purposes in which the parts are correlated so as to produce a bag structure Which is neat and `pleasingly attractive..

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the ele-` ments and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter particularly described and sought to be defined in the claims; reference showing the relation of the parts of the bag when the same is in closed position,

Fig. 3 is a view taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 3-3, Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a view taken in cross-section in the planeof the line 1- 4, Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the handle construction taken in cross-section in 'the planes of the broken line 5--5, Fig. 4,

and

Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views showing parts of the locking means for the strap and bag in open and closed positions.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, the improved hand bag comprises a casing body having a front wall 10, a rear wall 11 and a bottom wall 12, all preferably made of a single piece of sheet material bent into casing configuration and united to walls 13 and 14 forming the end or side walls of the bag by sewing together the meeting or contiguous edges of the walls, as shown by the lines of stitching 15 and 16. The Walls of the bag are made of a pliable material,

and preferably leather suiiciently rigid to produce a non-collapsible or self-sustaining structure substantially in the shape of an open-top parallelopipedon, as clearly shown in the drawings. For closing the open top, the bag is provided with a closure flap 17 attached to or integral with the rear wall 11 of the bag, and foldable over the' front wall into overlying relation therewith, as clearly shown, for example, in Figs. 2-4 of the drawings. The endwalls `13 and 14 are provided at their upper ends with the free end fiaps 13 and 14 which are foldable inwardly underneath the closure flap 17 when the latter is moved to closed posij tion as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,

and which are upwardly movable to permit access to the interior of the bag when the closure flap 17 is moved to open position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.,-

As heretofore mentioned, a desideratum of the invention in producing a hand bag especially serviceable for light travel or short trips resides in the provision of a hand bag construction adapted to serve the .functions of a brief case and Satchel, and to accomplish the desired result, the rectangularshaped bag is interiorly subdivided into a rear compartment section 18 and a front compartment section 19 by means of a partitioning wall 20, the rear compartment section 18 being intended for papers, books or salesdisplay samples, and the front compartment section 19 being intended for personal belongings such as Wearing apparel, toilet articles and the like required for short-period travel.

The partitioning wall 20 preferably embodies a construction which permits the size of either compartment section to be increased or diminished to suit the demands of the user, and to this end the partitioning wall 2() comprises a sheet of flexible material such as leather having a width greater than the Width of the bag and having its lateral edges 20 and 202 secured to the opposite end walls 13 and 14, the said lateral edges being preferably joined to the united edges of the front and end walls by means of the aforesaid lines of stitching 15 and 16, as will be clearly apparent from a consideration of Fig. 3 of the drawings. The partitioning wall 20 is also preferably attached to the bottom wall 12 of the bag by means of a line of stitching 21, said bottom wall being preferably provided with a stiifening or reinforcing plate 22 also preferably' made of leather and united as by stitching .to the said bottom wall 12. By means of this construction, it will be seen'that the partitioning wall may be moved relatively to either the front or rear wall so as to diminish or.in-

y crease the size of the compartment sections 18 or 19 to suit the demands of service.

It is desired to conceal the contents of the front or personal compartment 19 whenthe closure iap 17 is moved to opened position,

and to this end there is yprovided an inwardly directed flap 23 attached interiorly to the front wall 10, as by means of the line of stitching 24, and foldable over 4the partitioning wall 2() as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the said flap 23 and the wall 20 being provided with male and female fastening elements25, the wall 20 being preferably provided with a plurality of male fastening elements to permit cooperation of the closure Hap 23 with the partitioning wall in .its adjustable positions. For holding toilet articles such as a tube of tooth paste, tooth brush or a razor, the front compartment section 19 is preferably provided with a plurality of pockets 26 formed by threading a strap 27 through slits 28, 28 provided in the partitioning wall 20, the ends of the straps being united to the joined edges of the front and end walls by means of the aforesaid lines of stitching15 and 16.

By means of this construction, it will be seen that both in carrying capacity and in interior compartment arrangement, the hand bag is capable of serving the double functions of a brief case and hand bag, thus rendering the bag especially suitable for light travel or in the making of short trips or journeys. It will be further evident that upon opening the top closure Hap 17, ready access will be gained to the papers, salesdsplay `samples or the like contained in the rear compartment section 18 without disclosing to view the personal effects contained in the front compartment section 19, access,

- walls thereof and the character of the materialused are factors which not only contribute in producing a bag of the desired carrying capacity, but in yielding a structure which is non-collapsible and self-sustaining in shape and form, and which resists tendencies to 'alter the shape or distort the bag.

As heretofore mentioned, a further object of the invention centers about the provision of a hand bag constructed to permit rapid and facile opening and closing, and locking and unlocking operations of the bag, affording quick and convenient manipulation of the same and ready access to the bag' contents. To produce this desired result, a single fastening strap is employed for holding thebag closure in closed position, and a unitary or combined lock and buckle is utilized for fastening the strap in position and for locking the bag, the said` strap being designated in the figures as 29, cooperating with the combined buckle and lock generally designated as' ,30, the said strap being attached tothe walls of the bag so as to be threaded transversely of the bag through a plurality of strap receiving elements 31, 31 arranged in a transverse row on the front bag wall 10.

The strap receiving elements 31], 31 each l f preferably comprises a staple secured to the front wall 10 by means of a rear guard plate 32 stitched to the front wall, the opposite ends of the staple'beingheld against the rear face of the front wall'l() by means of the guard plates in such a manner. as to cause the said staples to project outwardly in planes normal to the plane of the front wall 10, so that when the iiap 17 is folded over the front wall 10, the slits 33, 33in the flap will freely register with and receive the protruding portions of the staples 31, as clearly shown in Figs. 2-4 of the drawings. The comparative thickness of thev material of which the front wall 10 is fashioned,'and the fitting size of the holes 34, 34 in the front wall 10 which'receive the staples, assist in maintaining the said staples in the desired condition. It will be understood that to fasten the flap "17, the same is first moved into position overl ing the front wall 10 with the staples 31 1n registry with the slits 33, and the .strap 29 is then threaded through the protruding portions of the staples and in overlying relation to the Hap 17, as is apparent from Figs. 2-4 ofthe drawings.

In the preferred construction, the fastening means including the strap 29 and 'the lock and buckle 30 are permanently'attached to the end or side walls 13 or 14 of the bag so as to free the front and rear walls from the same, producing a neat structure in which both the front and rear walls are left free to slide relatively to the clothes of the traveller without encountering protruding locking elements. Accordingly, the end of the strap 29 is stitched as at 35 (Figs. 3 and `4) to the cud wall 14 of the bag; and the lock and buckle 3() isl attached to a stub strap 36 which. is similarly stitched, as at 37, to the opposite end wall 13 of the bag.

.This fastening means described, in addition to permitting rapid opening and closing of the bag, is designed to afford a number of advantages, both in structure and use,- the said fastening means bein transversely of the bag so as to ree the top of the bag from all'straps and locking devices, permitting the -carrying handle of the bag to be extended over thegreater part of the width of the bag for affording eficient carrying support, the construction of the fastening means and its arrangement relatively to thesupporting handle being furthermore such 'as to take up the supporting forces and stresses, calculated to `prevent or `minimize bag distortion and to assist in maintaining the bag as a self-sustaining structure in shape and form.` These advantages will now be apparent from a consideration `of Figs. 1-5 of the drawings, in which isshown the carrying or supporting handle 38 having its end points of attachment 38 and 382 comparatively close tol the end walls of the bag, thus affording a handle of wide expanse, the said handle extending over the greater part ofl the width of the bag, permitting eiicient carrying control of the bag as a whole. It `will be further noted that the staples 31 in engaging the bottom of the slits 33 distributively take up the supporting force exerted thereon during the carrying of the bag, the same thus cooperating with the carryin handle 38, contributing to minimize any ag d1s torting'tendencies and to produce efficient bag supporting means.

-We have found that the comparatively elongated handle 38 may be effectively attached to the closure flap` 17 by means of a single strip of flexible material 39preferably made of leather extending substantially completely across and united to -the under wall of the flap by means of the stitches 40,

thc said strip 39 being provided with two spaced upturned integral loop portions 39 and 392 extending through a pair of slits 41 and 42 provided in the top of the closure flap 17, the handle or hand grip ends 38 'and arranged 382 being yattached to the loop portions 39 and 39.2 by means of the interposed rings 43 and `44.` The handle 38 is preferably made of multiple .plies of leather stitched together and enclosing a stiifening or reinforcing core 45, as shown for example in Fig. 4 ofthe drawings. By means of this construction, a single leather strip readily sewed to the under Wall of the flap suffices to support the stresses produced on the closure flap by the carrying handle` and cooperates to maintain the parts of the bag in eflicient condition.

The combined buckle and lock 30 previously referred to comprises a construction which permits the locking or bolting of the buckle, the buckle being thus employed as a lock for the bag. This buckle-lock comprises in the preferred construction a substantially rectangular frame having the side strips 30 and 302 'and the end connecting rods 303 and 30"., the former being attached to the stub strap 36 and the latter being intended for receiving the fastening strap 29 and for cooperating with the buckle tongue 4 6, which is integral with a substantially rectangular block 47 pivoted to the side strips 30 and 302 of the buckle frame 30. The lock and buckle frame are provided with mating locking elements in the form of. a bolt 48 in the lock and a bolt receiving orifice 49 in the side strip 30 of the frame, the same cooperating for locking the strap and the bag, as shown in Figs.' 2 and 7 of the drawings, unbolting of the lock permitting the buckle to be moved to the open position as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawings. The lock 47 may be of any approved type operated by means of the key receivable by the key opening 50. i

The manner of making the improved hand bag of our invention and the many advantages incident to the use thereof will in the main be fully apparent from the above detailed description thereof. It will be apparent that rthe bag is capable of serving advantageously a number of uses in general demand by travellers, the same functioning as a combined hand bag and brief case having the carrying capacity of the former and the ease of carrying manipulation and handling of the latter. It Will be further apparent that the bag is fashioned or shaped so as to permit lit to be readily placed in small confines. such as beneath a car seat. Without interference with the body of the occupant of the seat, or in other locations, such as b.ertli"hammocks, which do not accommodate satchels of kno-wn variety, the bag being designed and contoured so as to permit its being carried with maximum convenience and ease in crowds without annoyance to neighboring pedestrians, prmitting substantially unimpeded and undelayed movement of the traveller.

It will be further apparent that the parts of the bag are coordinated to permit rapid fasteningand unfastening operations of the bag, manipulation of only one strap being necessary, and that the bag may be quickly locked or unlocked by locking the strap appearance.

fastening buckle. It will furthermore be seen that the improved structure of the carrying handle and the transversely arranged fastening means coordinate-to produce a strong bag structure capable of Withstanding considerable use and of carrying a substantial load. The configuration, the character of the material employed in cooperation with the other structural features, contribute in producing a bag which may be manufactured at con'iparatively low cost and one which is neat and attractlve in While we have shown and described our invention in the preferred form, it will be apparent4 that many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a hand bag, a front wall, a rear Wall, end walls uniting the front and rear Walls to form an open-top compartment, a closure for the top comprising a flap attached to the rear wall andfoldable over the front wall', a partition subdividing the compartment into front and rear compartment sections, and an inwardly turned flap attached to the front wall and foldable over the partition to function as a closure forthe front compartment section, the said partition being formed by a flexible partitioning wall having its opposite edges joined to edges of the end walls and having lateral dimensions greater than the corresponding dimension of the bag whereby the size of either compartment section may be changed at will.

2. In a hand bag, a front wall, a rear Wall, end walls uniting the front and rear walls to form an open-top compartment, a closure for the top comp-rising a flap attached to the rear wall and foldable over the front wall, a partition subdividing the compartment into front and rear compartment sections.l an inwardly turned flap attached to the front wall and foldable over the partition to function as a closure for the frontI compartment section, the said partition being formed by a flexible partitioning wall having its opposite edges lioined to edges of the end Walls and having lateral dimensions greater than the corresponding dimension of the bag whereby the size of either compartment section may be changed at will, and a strap threaded through said partition to provide article receiving pockets.

3. Asa new article of manufacture, a, hand bag comprising an integral body of sheet material having a short iap at one end thereof and a longer flap at the other end thereof, two oblong strips of sheet material stitched to the opposite longitudinal edges of said body along lines intermediate the flaps, said lines extending along the longitudinal edges of the oblong. strips from one end thereof to a point intermediate the ends, thereby providing a free ilap portion at one end of each ot' said strips, and a partition having two parallel edges attached to said body and to said strips by 'the above line o'l stitching, thereby forming stitched to tlieoppsite longitudinal edges of said body along lines intermediate thev n i n flaps, said lilies extending along the longitudinal edges ot the oblongl strips from one end thereot to a point intermediate the ends,

therebfy providing a free [lap portion at one end o each of said strips, and a. partition forming a compartment. that may be closed by the short lap and another coinparti'nent that may be -closed by the long liap. A 5. Asa new article o'l nniniilai-tiire, ahand bag' comprising an integral body of sheet material having a short tlap at one end thereof and a longer flap at the other end thereof` two oblong strips of sheet n'iaterial stitched to the opposite longitudinal edgesl ol said body along lines intermediate the flaps and extending along three edges of the oblong strlps, and a'partition having 'twoparallel edges attached-torsaid body and to said strips, thereb i farming a compartment that may be close( by the short fla and another compartment that may be cosed by the long Hap.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a handbag-"comprising an integral body of sheet material having a short flap at one end thereof and a longer flap at the other end thereof, two oblong strips of sheet material, a buckle attached to one of said strips, attached to the `other strip, both v a strape strips ing stitched to the oppositev longitu- 1 dinal edges-*of said body along lines intermediate the flaps, saidlines extending along 4the longitudinal edges of the oblong strips,

from one end thereof to apoint intermediate the ends, thereby. providing a free flap por.- tion at oneend of cach of said strips. a partition having two parallel edges attached to .said body andv to said strips by the above line of stitching, thereb `forming a compartment that may be c osed by the short flap and another compartmentthat may be` closed by the long flap, and a row et staples on the said bod of sheet material disposed transversely an below said shortlap, co operatin with slots in said long" flap and withsa1 strap and buckle to fasten the long Hap.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a hand bag' comprising an integral body of sheet y terial, a buckle attache( material having a short flap at one end thereof and a longer flap at the other end thereot'htwo oblong strips `ot sheet material, a buckle attached to one of said strips, a strap attached to the other strip, both strips being stitched to the opposite longitudinal edges of said body along lines iuteriiicdiato the flaps, said lines extending along the lorigitudinal edges of the oblong strips, from one end thereof to a point intermediate the 76 ends` thereby providing a free flap portion at one end of each ot' said strips, a partition for-ming a'eompartment that may be closed bythe short flap and another coiii'partiiient that inay be closed b v the long tlap, and a 80 row of staples on the said body oi sheet man terial disposed transversely and below said short flap, cooperating with slots in said long flap and with said strap and buckle to fasten the long flap.

8. As a new article of manufacture, `a hand bag'c'omprisiiig an integral body ot sheet material having a short flap -at one end thereoi and a longer-flap at the othern end thereof, two oblono' strips of sheet ina- 90 listo one of said strips, a stra vattached to the other strip, both strips icing stitched to the opposite longitudinal edges of said body along lines intermediate the flaps, said lines extending along the longitudinal edges of the oblong strips. trom one end thereof to a point intermediate the ends, thereby providing a tree vlapportion at one end of each ol said strips, andl a row o'f staples on the said body ot sheet, niaterial disposed transversely and below said short ap,.eooperating with slots in said long flap and with said strap andbuckle to fasten the long flap.' 9. As a new article of manufacture, a hand bag comprising an integral body of sheet material having a short ilap at one end thereof and a longer flap at the other end thereof, two oblong sti-ips of sheet material, a buckle attached to one of said strips. a. strap attached to the other strip` both strips I being stitched to the opposite. longitudinal edges of said body along lines intermediate thc flaps` said lines extending along vthree ledges of the oblong strips, a partition having two parallel .edges attached to said body and to said strip by the above line ot stitch; ing, thereby forminga compartment that may be closed by the short flap and other compartment that may be closed by the long 120 flap` and a row of staples'onl the said body of sheet mat'erialdisposed transversely and below saidv short Hap, cooperating with slots 

